Man has life-threatening injuries after interaction with police in Brampton; SIU investigating

TORONTO -

The province’s police watchdog is investigating after a police interaction left a civilian with life-threatening injuries in Brampton on Thursday afternoon.

At around 4:10 p.m., Peel police received a call about gunshots heard inside an apartment building in the area of Charolais Boulevard and McMurchy Avenue South.

When officers arrived at the scene, there was interaction between them and an adult male, police said.

A man in his 20s was then transferred to hospital in life-threatening condition, according to Peel paramedics.

It is unknown how the man was injured.

The Special Investigations Unit (SIU) has invoked its mandate and is heading to the scene.

Peel police Const. Heather Cannon told CP24 that the incident was "not an officer-involved shooting."

She also said there is no threat to the public.

"There was no evidence when officers had concluded searching the building, no evidence of any shots fired, and there's no issue for public safety at this point," she said.

A resident in the area who identifed himself as Les said there was a large police presence at the scene.

"At one point there was about 40 cruisers around here, it stabled down to about 20. They were blocking off the roadway. Then a couple of tactical units came in, the guys got suited up and everything..." he told CP24.

"Three ambulances came. Two of them went up to the top (of the building). They brought out one man, he wasn't covered or anything so I don't know what happened but they brought him out on a stretcher," Les added.

Cannon said police determined that residents in the building heard a loud bang instead of the initially reported gunshots.

"We don't know what caused it, but someone believed it to be gunshots and when we respond to that we are responding as if it is gunshots," she said.

Roads in the area are closed for the investigation.

The SIU investigates incidents involving police resulting in death, serious injury, sexual assault and/or discharge of a firearm at a person.